


Collection of Short Stories, One Shots, and Imagines

by WisdomOfAFrozenHeart



Category: No Fandom
Genre: Cute, F/M, Love, One Shot, Random - Freeform, Scary, Short, Story, Sweet, Weird, imagine, prompts, yuzuru hanyu - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2019-05-22
Packaged: 2019-08-06 07:07:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 12,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16383602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WisdomOfAFrozenHeart/pseuds/WisdomOfAFrozenHeart
Summary: Collection of random short stories by yours truly.





	1. Imagine 1

~Imagine~  
He left an hour ago. He went out with Chris, his best friend and a few others. He pleaded you to go but you had an exam to prepare for. It was a final and you couldn't do badly on it so he understood. You apologized and let him leave. But ever since he left, you couldn't concentrate. All you could think about was how upset he was and how reluctant he was to leaving alone. After not getting any work done in the past hour, you decide it's time to go to him. You quickly text Chris asking him where they are and rush into your shared room to get ready. He replies immediately giving you the address of the club they went to celebrate at. You put on a beautiful blue dress that you've been saving for a good occasion, paired with killer black stilettos. You dab light makeup on and head out. You were excited to surprise him, as he would very much appreciate it. You rush to the club and get in. You look around and instantly spot Chris and the others in the VIP section. You slowly make your way to them. He is turned the other way, kind of sadly stirring his straw in his drink while everyone is laughing about. Chris spots you and just as he's about to call you over you motion him to stay quiet. You slowly make your way to him.   
"Hey," you call out as you're right behind him as you place w hand on him.   
"Y/N? What are you doing here? I thought you had to study," he says turning around excitedly.   
"I thought I'd come spend some time with you since you will be leaving soon. Besides I couldn't concentrate," you reply as he pulls you into a hug.  
"I love you Y/N," he says as you pull away.   
"I love you too," you reply pulling him into a kiss.


	2. Imagine 2

~Imagine~   
He hasn't been home in five months. It can get quite lonely so you had invited your best guy friend over to chill with you. He is supposed to come home in six months. He wanted you to go visit him in a month but you have so much to do it may not be possible. Your friend picked out a movie as you got popcorn and junk food ready for a Marvel movie marathon. Your friend knows how much you miss him. You sit down on the sofa as Thor starts. Your friend snuggles close to you. You guys have been friends forever so it didn't feel weird or anything. Halfway through the film and the popcorn you start tearing up because you miss him. Your friend senses this and pulls you closer.  
"I know you miss him but come on, he wouldn't want you to cry, love" your friend says kissing your forehead.   
"I know but I just miss him so much," you reply wiping away your tears.   
The two of you end up laughing and joking around for the next hour or so. You end up watching another movie cuddling. You eventually fall asleep in his arms while yearning for your lover. You wake up to a loud bang. You rub your eyes open and see the source for the sound was a suitcase falling for his hand. Wait a minute, what was he doing here?   
"He!" you shout getting up and out of your friend's arms.  
"Y/N," he looks hurt.   
He walks up the stairs to our room sighing. You run after him, it isn't normal for him to just walk away like that.   
"Hey, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to be here six months later," you say as he quietly stands at the bedroom door.  
"That's evident," he retorts scoffing.   
"What do you mean?" You ask raising an eyebrow.   
"Nothing," he sighs turning away.  
"Hey, look at me," you urge as he shakes you off.  
"I don't want to fight right now, Y/N. Just drop it," he walks in the room as you follow.  
"What are you going on about?" you ask him.  
Did he think you were cheating on him?   
"I'm talking about you and your new boyfriend," he sighs as you look shocked.   
"Are you-"  
"Just forget it Y/N. I get it, I'm not here and you need someone who can be here for you," he sighs sitting down with his head in his hands.  
"He, how could you think like that? I would never cheat on you. And as for (Y/F/N) he was just comforting me when I was missing you. He's my closest friend from childhood, I could never see him like that. He's like a brother to me," you reply tearing up.   
He sits there silently without a word.  
"If you can't trust me, then I guess there's no reason for us to be together," you sniffle as you walk out the house.   
He could have stopped you but he didn't. He let the best thing in his life just slip away. He should have stopped you. It's been two weeks yet you could not get the fight out of your head. You were staying with your best friend's house. Your best friend went and got some of your stuff from your shared apartment. She told you He wasn't there. Chris, your best friend's boyfriend, tried to help your best friend cheer you up.   
"Hey, let's go to the new club, HELL. You have to get super drunk and forget all about him," Chris says trying to get you to do something.  
"Chris, I don't want to go," you smile weakly as you walk away.  
"Come on, why don't you go, have fun get drunk and come back tomorrow with a great feeling yet no memory," Chris follows you.  
"You know what, you're right. I shouldn't mope around all day. He should have trusted me," you say.  
"Exactly now go get ready," he urges you, pushing you up the stairs. You get up the stairs and look through some of your clothes. You got ready in a really nice black dress and matching heels. You looked really good, but you didn't feel good at all. You put on light make up and plaster a fake smile on your face. You get to the club with Chris and (Y/B/F). The club was really loud and you really didn't want to be there. All you wanted to do was go to him and tell him that it was all a mistake and that you want him back. Pride kept you from doing that, you wanted him to come and apologize but it want his fault. Was it? Your friend grabs you to the bar and forces a drink in your hands. Why waste a good drink so you drink it up. You friend refills it.   
"Y/F/N! I don't want to get drunk," you say as she lifts the glass in your hand closer to your mouth.   
"A few drinks might be good for you," she replies.   
She drags you to the dance floor after a few drinks, at this point you're a tad bit tipsy. The two of you were dancing like crazy when someone pulls you close to them. Their hands a holding you lightly not aggressively. You try shoving them off but you're not strong enough. By now you're a bit more sober.   
"Get away from me," you say without turning around.   
"Y/N, please listen to me," voice comes from the person holding you.  
It was He, you were sure from the voice, yet you couldn't believe it so you swivel on your heel to look at him.  
"(His name)?" You ask as if to make sure you weren't seeing things.   
"Y/N, I'm a fool, an idiot. I should not have let you walk out the door that day. But I love you and I know I can't live without you. Please come back home with me," he pleads.   
His eyes are watery, he looks like a mess but he did try to fix his looks before coming.   
Should you let him back? You've had two terrible weeks without him, should you just run back into his arms?


	3. Imagine 3

~Imagine~  
There we were constantly arguing, every other day, we’d come home and argue with each other about nothing. Right now he was shouting at me for going to my friend’s birthday party where he had promised to go. I had to make up an excuse for his absence though most of my friends didn’t believe me, they didn’t press any further. I couldn’t take it anymore, the constant arguments, the constant lying, the constant distance.  
“I’ve had enough, we’re through. I’m leaving,” I sigh turning away from him.  
“Fine, leave, see if I care,” he shouts.  
I go up to my room and pack a bag of things for a night out. I walk out and he doesn’t stop me, I tell him I’ll come back to get the rest. I walk to my car crying as I call my best friend to ask if I can stay with her and she says of course. Somehow I make it to her house between tears with a clouded vision. Before I could knock she opens the door leading me in.  
“What’s wrong?” she asks bringing me in.  
We sit on the sofa in her large living room. I tell her everything between tears as her fiancé walks in.  
“Hey, what are you doing here?” he asks cheerfully before noticing my tears.  
“Hey, hey, hey are you okay? What happened?” he asks rushing over to me.  
“I think you should go get freshened up,” my best friend says to both of us as she stands up.  
“Yeah, I’ll go to our room,” he tells her as she glares at him.  
“There’s a fresh pair of pjs for you on the guestroom bed, go change and freshen up while I go heat up dinner,” she tells me motioning me to go towards the guest room, I nod.  
I leave to go freshen up thinking of all the events that lead to me cracking. All the arguments, the little things that could have been avoided, the tears that escaped my eyes. I make my way to the dining room as see my best friend shaking her head at her fiancé. I smile at how perfect they seem. She notices me and smiles.  
“Sit,” she says pointing to the table as the doorbell rings.  
“I’ll get it,” her fiancé says as she makes her way to me.  
“Hey, how you feeling?” she asks sympathetically.  
“Eh, been better,” I shrug as her fiancé returns with him following.  
He looks terrible, red puffy eyes, a guitar in hand. He doesn’t say anything, props a chair and sits down. He strums the guitar, and starts singing It Will Rain by Bruno Mars.  
“I’m an idiot, I’m sorry. I know we’ve been arguing for a while over nothing and I promise if you come back it will all change,” he looks up at me hopefully.  
“I’d be an idiot if I let everything go over a stupid fight,” I reply hugging him.  
“Does this mean you forgive me?” he asks.  
“Yes,” I reply smiling.  
“I love you, I promise not to hurt you ever again,” he says presenting a ring from his pocket.  
“I love you too,” I reply as he slips the promise ring on my finger.


	4. Imagine 4

~Imagine~  
It was the third time this month, he stood you up. Not a call, or text, nothing. It’s understandable, he’s busy but when he can’t make it, he should at least send you a message saying he won’t be there instead of making you wait. He didn’t even pick up when you called. You waited at the restaurant for two hours, gaining pity glances from all the servers eventually leaving when they closed. It just had to start raining as you made your way back to your apartment, just your luck. You walked into your apartment irritated and drenched only to find him in high spirits with a cup of tea in his hand, soft music playing in the background sitting on the couch, relaxed.  
“Hello Darling,” he smiled at you.  
At this point, fully irritated you let him have it. Screaming at him for every little thing from the missed dates to the scattered books to the late nights to his unannounced guests. You shouted about anything you could think of and to you greater annoyance he stared at you dumbfounded without a single counter. After you let out some steam, he quietly got up and left the room. You angrily sat down in the living room, it was irritating you that he wouldn’t say a word. You decided that if he wasn’t going to respond to you then you would not talk to him. Moments later you felt something on your head.  
“You’ll catch a cold, love,” He says drying your hair with a towel.  
As he helped dry you off, your anger slowly dissipated. Maybe you were overreacting. He finished drying you off and pulled you to your feet.  
“I’m sorry love,” he says pulling you in his arms as he started to sway you.  
He danced with you and whispered many promises in your ear until you calmed down and started to talk to him again. You spent the night in his arms.  
The next day, he was gone early in the morning with leaving you with only a note. It said that it was Thursday, wait a minute, you were meant to meet up at the restaurant today not yesterday. In your excitement to finally get some time with him you completely mixed up the days. He hadn’t stood you up at all. You felt guilty for all the thing you had said the night before. But what was done was done. Reading on, his note requested you wear the dress he left out for you tonight for your date. He also said if your misguided temper leads to a night like last, he’ll bear through as many tantrums like that as you throw. He ended with saying he couldn’t wait for dinner, neither could you. But first, you needed to figure out a way to apologize.


	5. Imagine Yuzuru Hanyu

He rushed off to his room, upset, with her, with himself, with his injury, her job, her school, with everything. He didn't want to talk to anyone. He didn’t want to hear her sad voice through the phone trying to console him. All he wanted was to hold her until he felt better. She could do it, for him. As soon as he entered his room he plopped onto his bed, face forward. He let out a frustrated scream into his pillow. Surprisingly she hadn't called him yet, had she not seen it? No there's no way she'd miss his performance regardless of time she always live streamed it, even if it was just his performance and score. There was a short soft knock on his door. Probably Javi, he thought, but he didn't want to open the door and talk to him.  
"Not now Javi, I- I need to be alone," he insisted from his bed.  
Javi doesn't respond. Another soft knock follows the brief silence. He sighs and groans before turning his back to the door. Suddenly, his phone starts ringing, it's her. The special tone he set just for her. He takes a deep breath before picking up.  
"Moshi moshi," he sighs.  
"Yuzu, open the door onegai," she responds then hangs up before he can respond.  
It takes him a minute to understand that the knock wasn’t Javi but her, she was here, just behind the door. He jumped up and ran to the door.

She watched him perform, it may not have been his best but to her it was absolutely amazing. She worked her ass off to make time to be here today, she wanted to surprise him after. She knew he'd be upset after this so she waited until he was done with all the formalities. She watched him rush to his room, she quietly followed him, at a safe distance. He didn't notice her. As she reached his door she heard a muffled scream, his frustration evident. She knocks softly.  
"Not now Javi, I- I need to be alone," he said in a slightly harsh manner.  
She almost let out a chuckle. His instincts weren’t too off, the Spaniard had just reached the door too. She smiled at Javi, gave him a sweet wave. Javi was glad to see she made it here for Yuzu. Neither say a word, Javi reaches out and softly knocks. Getting no response from the boy within, she calls him. The sweet ringtone fills the room. She sighs as he picks up.  
"Moshi Moshi," he sighs.  
"Yuzu, open the door onegai," she responds then hangs up before he can respond.  
She wanted to hold him, tell him that everything was going to be okay, that he needed to stop beating himself up over this. He needed to put this behind him and concentrate on having a beautiful free.

As soon as he opened the door, Yuzuru threw his arms around her, almost not noticing Javi standing next to her. Not a second later, he felt very flustered, quickly pulling away. He normally wasn’t this open about his feelings but today, he needed her. There was no denying that, not for a second. She slightly snickered at his sudden embarrassment. It was cute. Javi looked at the pair and smiled, he was happy that his dear friend had someone like her. He gave the flustered Japanese boy a hug and told him how proud he was of Yuzu. Javi didn't want to intrude on the pair for very long, he left the consoling to her as he made his way back to his girlfriend. Yuzuru grabbed her hand and pulled her into his room. He wanted to tell her everything going through his mind as she could help calm the turbulent waves of doubt running through him. But first he expressed how happy he was to see her here, embracing her once again telling her how he didnt expect to see her here. He then sat her down on his bed and lay his head in her lap. She smiled at him, running her hands through his head as he started telling her everything. He let all his emotions out to her before she voiced her opinions. Before she even started to tell him how beautiful his performance was, he felt better, she was here for him.

By morning practice, Yuzuru felt refreshed. He spent the night with her, talking and laughing. He hit the ice with a renewed self-confidence. Brian watched the boy practice, there was a different air about him almost like a stronger determination than he did yesterday. Yuzuru knew he'd have to give the performance of a lifetime today to get where he wanted. He also knew she was close, she'd be watching and cheering him on like any other competition but this time she was close. He wanted to make her proud today. Regardless of what happened today, she'd be there waiting with her arms open wide and a smile on her face just for him. This knowledge gave him the strength he needed to bear through with all the fear, the expectations and the pain.  
*time jump*  
He calmed himself before his free, he was nervous and scared at this point. All these what ifs ran through his mind. He was on the brink of a panic attack, he need to breathe and calm down. He wanted to see her. He knew he couldn’t until this was over but that didn't change his feelings. He grabbed his tissue case and squeezed its cheeks much like he did with her often. Suddenly his phone vibrates, he was slightly surprised he had it on him. He quietly took a peak at it to see a text from her.  
'Ganbatte Yuzu!!!'  
This message brought a smile on his face. Before he could respond, he was dragged out for his warm up. As soon as he hit the ice, his sole focus went to the ice. He knew she was there, watching him, he couldn’t falter not today.

He skated his best, he could proudly say that but he knew there was a minimal chance that he'd get the gold. He wanted gold badly, for himself, for her, for Japan, for his fans. He sat there watching the younger American skate after him. At least he could proudly say he did his best here. Maybe it was her presence or the mere knowledge that she was gonna be by his side no matter what, that brought a smile on his face. He was going to podium, maybe not gold but he was gonna get a medal. He wasn't happy about the color but at this moment he was content knowing he'd hold her in his arms tonight. With no malice in his heart, he congratulated the young American as they got ready for the medal ceremony.  
*skip to after medal ceremony*  
He, along with the other medalists, was skating around the rink, waving to fans and posing for the photographers. He secretly was scanning the crowd to see her face, trying his best to spot her. When, finally, his eyes fell on her, he saw tears streaming down her face as she smiled through them. She smiled and mouthed "Omedeto"  
Her smile made him feel like he won. He gave her a smile before leaving the area. He had just a little longer until he could wrap his arms around her and have her all to himself.

Yuzu rushed to his room as soon as was socially acceptable. She would be waiting for him in his room. Just as he barged in, she looked up from her phone and stood up from the chair she was on. She instantly wrapped her arms around him and told him how proud she was of him, that he was amazing. Before he could even realize what he was saying, he was contradicting her words, telling her no, I should have done better, I should have won gold. She sits him down on his bed, takes his medal off of his neck. She explained to him that he did well, that regardless of the color of the medal he did his best. He sighed frustrated while trying to figure out how to form his words so she'd understand. Deep down he knew she was fully aware of what he was thinking but he needed to say it out loud. She knew he did his best. He lay her down in the bed next to him and pulled her close in his arms. Her back pressed against his toned chest letting her feel his constant heartbeat. She turned to face him, placed one hand right over his heart. She spoke up, after a few seconds of staring in his eyes. She told him all her thoughts on the event, how he was truly amazing, how everyone was so proud of him. She went on and on about him almost gushing. He looked at her in awe, she didn't even hesitate, and he was blushing hearing her. She looked so happy as she animatedly continued. After a while she realized how she was going on and on about him, in front of him and suddenly got self-conscious. A light blush covered her cheeks as she looked away from him. All those feelings of disappointment and frustration slowly faded, he felt slightly better. He pulled her close and thanked her. He held her close as they fell asleep in bliss.


	6. His Smile

His Smile  
I walk in, completely out of place. This isn’t my scene; I’d rather be in my bed, under covers with a new book and a nice warm cup of tea. I think I should do just that, but he asked me to be here. He wanted me to be here, but didn’t he notice I’d feel like a fish out of water? Didn’t he care about me making a fool of myself and embarrassing him? I pull on my dress nervously, and try to locate him in the large crowd. He probably feels right at home; he always knows how to hold himself. He is always in the spotlight, taking control of situations, always the extrovert. Suddenly I feel hands over my eyes. The hands are large, warm yet rough. I take a deep breath, almost trying to make up for the sudden loss of my sense of sight. His strong cologne hits me. Code, Armani Code.  
“Hello, Darling,” he says as I turn and see his beautiful face.  
“H-hi,” I stutter getting lost in his glow.  
He has a broad smile reaching his blue green eyes which are sparkling with happiness.  
“I thought for a second, that you wouldn’t show, or that you forgot,” he says wrapping his arms around me.  
“I couldn’t, you asked me to be here,” I reply smiling as he pulls away.  
The smile had shrunk as if my words hurt him, causing him to widen it changing the once genuine smile to a fake one.  
“It means a lot,” he says as his friend comes over.  
The two converse excitedly not a word makes its way to my ears; I’m too worried to pay attention. Had I said something wrong? Had I hurt his feelings? Should I have worded it differently? I didn’t mean to hurt him. Perhaps he doesn’t realize that I meant I needed to be here only because he asked. Had he not asked I’d be fine doing anything, but since he has, I couldn’t do anything and be happy, had I not come. I would be constantly thinking of him. I hope he isn’t upset by my words. I didn’t mean to hurt him.  
“You look lovely today,” his friend says extending his hand to me.  
“Thank you,” I reply as he looks at me and smiles.  
The smile lost its glow; it isn’t as warm and welcoming. They continue their conversation as I try to listen yet my attention falters. I need to make the smile full again. If only I had a time machine. I should have said something like ‘wouldn’t miss it for the world’ or ‘no place I’d rather be’ or ‘anything for you’ but all was said and done. Why didn’t I say any of that?   
“I’ll see you later,” his friend says as he leaves.  
He looks at me; his face shows a range of emotions confusion, worry, and sadness.  
“Are you all right?” he asks distraught.  
“Fine, why?” I reply with a smile just as fake if not more than his previous one.  
“Darling, I know your smile and that wasn’t it,” he says with a caring smile.  
This time his smile is genuine, caring, warm. This time I smile genuinely. He does know me well. As I know him.  
“I’m truly fine, but that smile you had when your friend came over wasn’t your smile,” I say smiling slightly.  
Now he chuckles heartily before smiling radiantly.  
“Love, it is now,” he replies smiling broadly.  
“That it is. I was afraid, I said something wrong,” I reply with a dim smile.  
“No, no, it wasn’t something you said. I was just thinking about how inconsiderate I was when I told you to come. I know you feel uncomfortable in these situations,” he says with a lingering smile.  
“I’m fine as long as you’re here with me,” I reply wrapping my hands around him.  
I look up to see him bestowing a radiantly affectionate smile on me. His smile is the reason I came. Some may say it’s just a smile but to me his genuine smile means the world.


	7. What could she do to me?

What could she do to me?  
She’s just a sweet old lady, what can she do to me?  
That’s what I said that night.  
~That night~  
We were walking home, following the shortcut through the cemetery and past the creepy old house at the edge of the community. We didn’t want to get in trouble. If we went the normal route, we’d be late. It was slightly chilly and rather late in the evening. Spencer, my friend, was to sleep over at my house. Since my house was on the other side of the community, we were walking past the ghostly, dilapidated house. The two of us had just gotten to the other side of the house when a kindly, creepy old lady called out to us causing us to turn.  
“Child, can you help me with this heavy box?” she asked in a very uncanny way pointing eerily at the box.  
“Sure,” I replied without hesitation as I start to walk towards her.  
“But we need to get home,” Spence pulled me back and reminded me.  
“I know, I know. Why don’t we help her first,” I replied.  
“But, she’s creepy,” Spence tried to dissuade me.  
“Relax Spence, she’s just a sweet, helpless, old lady, what can she do to me? Walk along Spence, I’ll catch up,” I said walking back to the old lady.  
I picked the box up and followed the old woman while Spencer watched me walk away until I was behind the gate. She pointed to her basement gesturing where she wanted the heavy box.  
“Please just take it down there and put it down,” she said.  
I walked down the stairs with the heavy box and set it down someone closed the door. I ran up the stairs trying to open the door in vain only to find it locked. I continued to bang the door but no avail, she had ignored the clamor.  
“You shouldn’t have come in, your greed is your fatal flaw,” she said.  
What greed? What is she talking about? I was only trying to help her.  
I tried to bust the door down but I soon realize it was all in vain. Busting doors isn’t as easy as Shemar Moore makes it seem in Criminal Minds. I was stuck. I went back down and sat on the floor. The box was next to me. I felt curious.  
What was in it? But it isn’t mine to look at. She did lock me up here with it. But still, it isn’t mine.  
I decided it wasn’t worth looking into. What seemed hours later, the old lady came down the steps. I was too tired to move.  
“Always greedy, you young folk,” she shook her head as she tied my hands.  
What greed? What is she talking about? What’s going on?  
“Now you’ll never leave, just like the others,” she said as she tied up my numb legs before opening the box.  
The box was filled with human bones.  
She was definitely delusional and mentally unstable.  
I was all alone once again and now I couldn’t move. My parents and Spencer were probably worried out of their minds. I let worry cloud my mind as I fell asleep on the cold, damp basement, bound and shivering.  
~later~  
“Wake up,” the old lady shook me awake.  
“What did I do to you?” I cough out.  
Without replying, the old lady claimed me as her next victim. Now I reside with the rest, in the box she uses to get more.  
Why did I pity her? That’s the question I ask myself every day. My old words haunt me every day, echoing through.  
‘She’s just a sweet, helpless, old lady, what can she do to me?’  
Beware of the creepy sweet old lady. This is what she did to me.


	8. Blue

Blue  
Walking into the room, the first thing anyone would see is all the different shades of blue. Blue is supposed to have a connection with honesty and trust. Mentally I am supposed to automatically feel at home and trust the man. He walks in with a smile on his face; he’s wearing a gray suit, blue striped tie, blue cufflinks and a white dress shirt. He wants me to open up. He wants me to trust him. He wants to tell me how wrong I am. Since its my favorite color, I am very partial to the color blue. He introduces himself and I notice his eyes; they’re blue.  
“Why are you here?” he asks having me sit in front of him.  
Why am I here? Does he think I’m here by choice? If it were up to me, I’d be far away from here. I don’t want to be anywhere near him. He poses as an honest, caring man, yet he’s anything but. How do I answer why I am here? All the blue looks rather beautiful.  
“Um, I wasn’t feeling good, having issues with my family,” I sigh.  
None of this is true, I just need to stall him while they finish the job in his office. All I need to do is keep him distracted.  
“So you came to me for advice?” he asks skeptically.  
No, I just came to keep you busy. His blue eyes are sparkling like the sea.  
“Yeah, best at your job, aren’t you?” I ask smiling weakly.  
By job, I mean being a scumbag.  
“I don’t know about that but why don’t tell me more?” he smiles.  
The blue isn’t helping your cause, I know exactly the type of lying, cheating, deceiving man you are. You’re no honest man.  
“Your phone’s ringing” he says causing me to look away from his blue eyes.  
“Hello?” I ask picking up the phone.  
“Wrong man,” the caller says before hanging up.  
Wait, what? He’s not the man we’re looking for? Who is? How did we screw up? Is he actually an honest man?  
“Anything wrong?” he asks, his blue eyes piercing into my confusion and soul.  
“No, nothing. I have to go,” I say rushing out of the blue room.  
The blue is getting to me, his eyes bore into mine throughout the time I was there. Blue must be my favorite color because I lack both honesty and trust. I get to the elevator and wait for it to get to the 15th floor.  
“Wait, please don’t leave without an explanation,” he says stopping me.  
“I told you, family problems,” I reply with a slight smile as I get on the elevator.  
His sapphire cufflinks shine and catch my eyes as he rushes into the elevator.  
“That’s a lie. I won’t be good at my job if I couldn’t tell that much,”he says fixing his tie. Again with the blue.  
I stand silently not knowing how to answer.  
“Okay, I just need to go. I don’t have family issues; I was wasting your time,” I reply shaking my head.  
Even the small, confined elevator is blue.  
“Why?” he asks as the elevator reaches the bottom floor.  
I walk away without answering. I rush to the next office.


	9. Time Machine

Time Machine  
We have been arguing for the past half hour. I don’t know what I did but she came and started shouting at me for something I did. I was quiet for a bit but eventually I couldn’t stand her screaming and started shouting back.  
“You know what, this time I’m going to leave and never come back,” she says irritated.  
“Fine, leave see if I care,” I shout as she looks shocked.  
Taken aback, she looks at me as if I’m a monster. As she storms out the tension in the room and the anger in me dissipates. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. I mean it was a heat of the moment thing. I didn’t truly want her to leave. Is she really not going to come back? No, no she’ll be back, she always is. Give her a few hours to calm down. She’ll be back and we’ll be okay. Just a few hours.  
An hour goes by, two goes by, she isn’t here. She’ll be home in a little bit, probably at her best friend’s house. Talking about how terrible I am and how could I have said such a thing and what not.  
I sit down to watch some TV. I start watching some random crime show. Maybe this will keep my mind from her.  
Four hours have gone by, no sign of her return. She didn’t mean it, did she? She’ll be in my arms by the morning right? She’ll be back soon, right?  
My phone rings. I pick it up without glancing at the caller id, assuming it’s her.  
“Hello,” I say as casually as possible.  
I don’t want her to think it affected me.  
“Hi, I’m Doctor Adams calling from General Hospital. Is this Mr. James Pine?” the caller inquires.  
“Yes,” I answer hesitantly. Why was a doctor calling me?  
“I’m calling to inform you that we have an ER patient, Alexandria Reid, here. You are her emergency contact,” the caller says. Alex? She’s hurt?  
“Oh god, what happened to her? Is she going to be alright?” I ask extremely worried not being able to think clearly.  
“Sir, I think it’d be best for you to come here,” he replies before bidding me farewell.  
Oh god what have I done? Is she going to be alright? Why did I let her go? If I had just stopped her, she’d be here in my arms.  
I somehow make it to the hospital with blurry eyes. It’s truly amazing that I didn’t crash into anything in my mindset. I go to the Operation Room where she’s being treated and sit outside the room, waiting to hear something, anything on her condition.  
“Mr. Pine?” a doctor asks coming out from the OR causing me to.  
“Yes, doctor? Is she alright?” I ask standing up.  
“Sir, I’m sorry. We tried our best but the condition she was in when she came was really bad. We couldn’t save her,” he says apologetically.  
I drop back into my seat, tears streaming down my face. She’s dead? She can’t be dead. Not my Alex. She was supposed to come back. Be with me forever. She was supposed to come home. We’d talk about the fight, apologize then we’d go to bed. In the morning I was going to make her breakfast. We were going to be fine by the morning.  
“Are you alright Mr. Pine?” the doctor asks.  
“It’s all my fault. If only I didn’t let her walk away she’d be alive,” I sob as the doctor sits down next to me.  
“Mr. Pine, it was an accident. It isn’t your fault,” the doctor tries to console me.  
“Can I see her?” I ask sniffling.  
“But of course sir,” he says leading me to the room.  
She looks peaceful like she’s asleep. However, her bright brown eyes have now dulled. If only I could go back and stop her from leaving. Why did I let her go? I can’t see clearly, my head is spinning. The room starts disappearing in darkness.  
I hear electrical noises, a light buzz and someone breathing lightly. I slowly open my eyes and am blinded by a light. I slowly blink trying to get used to the light. I see an old man sitting in a chair staring at me. All of a sudden all the previous events come rushing to me as a wave crashes into the beach.  
“Hello son,” a stranger old man says smiling at me.  
“Um do I know you?” I ask as I slowly sit open.  
“No, dear child, I’m here to help you,” he smiles warmly.  
Who is this man? I don’t get it what does he want? What does he mean by help me?  
“Help me?” I ask absolutely confused.  
All I truly want to do is wallow away in self pity. I am a fool, I should have stopped her.  
“You wanted a time machine. Well boy, I have one,” he says causing me to laugh.  
Time machine? Could it be? Of course not there’s no such thing. Why get my hopes up?  
“Thank you for the laugh, but there is no such thing as a time machine,” I say with a sad chuckle.  
“Son, I have one do you want to correct your mistakes or not?” he states irritated.  
“Wait. You’re serious?” I inquire shocked.  
“Well of course,” he looks at me as if I am stupid.  
Could I actually go back and save her? Will I be able stop her? Does he really have a time machine?  
“Come on boy. Let’s go, how long back you want to go, sonny?” he asks helping me up.  
“Um 24 hours would be good,” I answer hesitantly.  
Can he just take me out of the hospital without filling any release form? He leads me to the parking lot and helps me into a car. It’s a black Honda Civic.  
“What you thinkin boy?” he asks smirking.  
“Nothing, just how is this possible?” I reply.  
“Oh it’s very possible but, it’s a one shot thing; just place this over your eyes,” he says passing me a black silk blindfold.  
Either I’m insane or I have a death wish. For all I know he could be kidnapping me and I’m going with him willingly. Who am I kidding? I can’t live without her so I have no problem dying. I tie the blindfold and lose my sense of sight. I let myself not think about what is happening around me.  
“Okay, so I’m going to take you back 24 hours exactly where you were back then,” he explains.  
I feel the whole world spinning around. I’m dizzy again. Suddenly everything stops moving I slowly pull the silk blindfold off. I’m in our living room again its yesterday or today but anyways it’s right before our fight. I’m not going to fight with her. I’m going to change the ending.  
She comes in and starts arguing. I still don’t know why she’s mad at me. She keeps shouting at me but I sit quietly.  
“Are you even listening to me? Do you even care?” she cries.  
“Of course I care,” I retort still calm.  
She continues to tell me how much she does for me and how I do nothing. I start getting irritated and shout back saying I do everything for her somehow, we end up with-  
“You know what, this time I’m going to leave and never come back,” she says irritated.  
“Fine, leave see if I care,” I shout as she looks shocked.  
Taken aback, she looks at me as if I’m a monster. As she storms out the tension in the room and the anger in me dissipates. What have I done? This time I know she isn’t coming back, I blew it.


	10. Cognizance of Love

Cognizance of Love  
The cool autumn breeze hit my bare shoulders causing me to shiver.  
“Are you cold?” he asks concerned.  
“No, not really,” I say trying to lie only to have my shiver give me away.  
“You know you’re terrible at lying,” he says chuckling as he takes off the jacket he had on.  
“No but you’ll feel cold,” I object as he drapes the coat around me.  
“Yes, but you need to be warm. Now wrap your arms around me; I’m cold,” he says causing me to laugh.  
“Of course,” I say wrapping my arms around his torso and place my head on his chest as we continue to walk his arm slings over my back and the other at his side.  
If he only knew who I was, he wouldn’t be like this with me, he wouldn’t care for me, and he would shoot me down without a second thought. He can never know why I came to him in the first place, what my true objective was; he can never know who I truly am. I changed after meeting him; I don’t want what I did earlier. I just want to be with him anywhere, in any condition; as long as we are together we’ll be okay.  
“What’s on your mind?” he asks after he stops walking and looks at me.  
I look up at him and stare into his still mesmerizing chocolate eyes. I get lost staring into them; they show so many emotions, concern, care, and curiosity.  
“Nothing,” I say shaking my head realizing I was staring for too long.  
“You know, you can take your time to open up to me, but I won’t judge you for anything,” he reassures  
“I know I can tell you anything,” I say placing my head on his chest, listening to his timed breaths and heartbeat.  
It’s very calming; it can help me forget all my troubles for now. Though he was hesitant at first, we start walking again. I wonder why he trusts me so much, I mean I haven’t done anything to deserve all this love and affection.  
“Why do trust me?” I ask causing him to stop.  
He lifts his arm from his side to lift my head from his chest to look at him.  
“Why wouldn’t I?” he asks staring into my eyes; his eyes show sincerity.  
“I mean I was a girl from nowhere and you just trusted me enough to keep me near. I know you are the reserved type of person; you don’t talk to people or reveal much about yourself to people. So why did you open up to me?” I ask staring in his eyes; his emotion changed to confused.  
“There was something about you that just drew me to you; I fell for you the moment I saw you, in your black dress, with barely any makeup on, not trying to impress anyone. You weren’t reserved, you were practical. You weren’t fake like most girls, you didn’t try to get a guy nor did you need one. You didn’t try to be someone else; you didn’t try to fit in, you tried to be yourself. What I’m trying to say is you were different and I like that about you. You do things your own way; you like to be different because you aren’t them. I just opened up to you because you were the person to open up to, my heart told me to open up to you,” he replies still staring at me, as-if I’ll vanish if he looks away; his eyes show clear passion and honesty .  
“Hmm,” I say satisfied with his response, placing my head back on his chest tightening my grip on him as-if he’ll go away if I let go, I inhale deeply into his chest smelling his faded strong cologne mixed with the smell of his fresh detergent.  
“I love you,” he says softly, almost inaudibly.  
“I love you too,” I say louder than him so he knows I heard him.


	11. White Lilies

White Lilies  
It was early in the day, as she made her way through the long and busy street to get to the small local flower shop. The shop was practically vacant and brimming with colors, a red rose here, a blue carnation there, a yellow sunflower to the right, a orange daffodil to the left, a pink tulip in the front, a purple hyacinth in the back. She smiled as the flowers gave life to the room. She made her way to the counter to pick up the glorious bouquet of white lilies from the florist.  
She couldn't see the appeal of these large, fragrant, pure white flowers, but they were his favorite. Every time he bought flowers for her, he bought her these lilies. He always said, if he ever so lilies he would always think of her so, he could not help but buy them every time. Something about how beautiful and pure these lilies were made him remember her.  
She had been coming in every week for a bouquet of white lilies for the past year. Whenever she came in, she would chat with the florist. But today she didn't have time to stand and talk to the florist, she had to go and see him. She didn't want to keep him waiting, not today. Today was special, for both of them. She didn't want to waste a second with anyone else.  
She rushed and made her way down the long and winded street that led to him. All she wanted to do was wrap her arms around his torso once again, to feel his warmth by her side. She truly did not want to waste another moment away from him. She opened the gate, stroll down the long path. Her chocolate brown hair pinned up in a bun, her long white sundress fluttering in the wind, the sun shining in her face, the fresh green grass outlining the path. It was truly a site he would love to have seen.  
When she got there, someone else was standing there by his side. It was his brother. His brother was not happy to see her there. He glared at her. It made her feel very unwelcome, but she knew that he wanted her there. It didn't matter to her if anyone else did or not. It was her right to be there, by his side. Hers and only hers. But his brother’s glare made it hard for her to move, to get near him.  
“What are you doing here? Haven't you done enough? You need to leave before the rest of my family gets here,” his brother said.  
“I thought we were family,” she mumbled.  
“He’s dead because of you. Any relation we had ended with him,” his brother scoffed.  
“I’m still his wife,” she sighed.  
“He’s gone and it’s all your fault, you need to leave before my mother gets here, you’ve caused her enough heartbreak,” he stated staring her down as if to gauge and see if she had any ulterior motives.  
“I came to say goodbye,” she said sighing.  
His brother’s eyes soften towards her slightly, He knew she meant a lot to his brother. He gave them some space but not before telling her to make it quick. She lied to him, she wasn’t intending on saying goodbye at all. She only wanted some time with him, away from everyone else.  
“It’s lonely here without you. Doesn't feel right. Everyone keeps blaming me. I know that's not what you wanted, I know that's not what happened. I know you wouldn't blame me. But, I don't like it without you. It's like I'm a living corpse waiting for my time. Maybe I'll force it to come sooner rather than later, but I know that's not what you wanted. After all that night, you risk your life for mine. But it should have been me, the guilt of knowing that it wasn't me, that it was you, that you're not here because of me, is eating me alive,” she said crying as she made her way to where he lay and crouched down.  
She lay the flowers upon his chest. White lilies, a sign of innocence, a sign of purity, a sign of regality, a sign of youth, and a sign of passion, an eternal love that never dies.


	12. Cold Shoulders

Cold Shoulders  
As soon as he walked into the room, he could feel a chill in the atmosphere. What had he done now? Any other day, she would be there with a smile on her face waiting just to greet him. She was nowhere to be seen yet for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what he had done to upset her. He placed his dark brown satchel along with his keys on the cherry wood table. He then hung his light wool jacket in the small closet in the hallway. He walked towards the living room, knowing he'd find her sitting on that old chair near the fireplace with a book in hand.  
Her glasses pressed against the bridge of her nose, her legs lie under the tattered old blanket curled up in one of his many sweaters as she continued to read ignoring his presence. She looked comfortable, cute even. Right at this moment, he wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms. But at this point, he wasn't really sure if she truly knew he had arrived. Maybe she was so wrapped up with the book to even notice. A pang of jealousy coursed through his veins. She gave the book her undivided attention while he stood staring at her. Though he'd rather have it that way than have her be upset with him. Maybe he hadn't done anything wrong after all. He decided to try his luck.  
“Evening darling,” he called out making his way closer to her.  
She looked up from the book for a mere second, her gaze rolled over him. She didn't reply and directed her attention back to the book. It became evident that he had clearly upset her. But what had he done? Had he forgotten something important? It wasn't her birthday or an anniversary. They hadn't had a fight recently either, yet she was upset with him. She wouldn't even acknowledge him. After, what felt like an eternity to him, but was only a few minutes she placed the book down and got off the chair. He froze where he standing across from the chair she occupied not moments ago as she brushed past him.  
She walked to her room the she rarely used. It was the spare room, she only stayed there when she was mad or upset or when he wasn’t at home. Their room didn’t feel right without him she always said.  
But how could it feel right without her tonight? He sighed and made his way to their shared room. He headed for the shower still baffled by the reason for this silent treatment.  
She had ended up on the bed of the spare room. She hadn’t been in it for almost six months. She was truly insecure today. The words of their friends still rang in her ears. Were they right? Was it a sign? A bad one? Should he have said something to her? She sat on the bed and thought of what else to do to get him to open up, to get him to tell her how he feels. She knew her method may not have been the best but he would have eventually agree to do anything to get her to talk.  
He was out of the shower and she still wasn't in their room. He sighed shaking his head. He walked over to her old room or she sat on the bed. He leaned on the doorway and stared at her.  
“You're in your bed and I'm in mine. One of us is in the wrong place. Tell me babe is it me or you?” he smirked at her.  
She looked at him and smiled slightly before her gaze fell again. She had lost the will to fight. Maybe she could put it all aside for tonight or maybe this was the perfect opportunity to ask him. She decided to take advantage of the situation she created, hoping it was all a big misunderstanding. Praying he’d put to rest all of her doubts.  
“I'll join you and yours if you can tell me how you really feel about me. What do I mean to you?” she looked up at him, sighing lightly.  
He moved from the door to right in front of her. He knelt before her then took her hands into his.  
“Love, look at me,” he sighed as her gaze held his once again.  
“If you ask me what you mean to me, I'm sorry but I can't really answer that,” he paused as she lowered her gaze again.  
She was upset by that response. He lifted one of his hands and tilted her head so she would look at him again.  
“I can tell you this, I would give anything to hold your hands. I would do anything to have my lips meet yours. Everything to spend the rest of my life with you. Anything to fall asleep by your side guaranteeing I'd wake up next to you. So if you ask me what you mean to me, I'd have to say that there aren't enough words to tell you what you mean to me. You're my love, my life, my everything. Does that answer your question?” he asked smiling at her.  
She nodded lightly trying to shake the tears in her eyes.  
“Now if you don't join me in our bed then, I'll join you and yours,” he joked standing back up.  
He then led her to the room all her doubts cleared and they enjoyed each other's presence for the rest of the night.


	13. False Impressions

False Impressions  
She knew it was all a show, just a facade, nothing real. Yet somehow even with that knowledge she fell for it. Maybe some part of her wanted it to be true, some part of her craved his affection. She knew she shouldn’t have, not that she could help it but she truly tried not to. He was partly to blame for putting her in such a predicament. Even though she knew everything he said and did was an illusion yet she fell for it anyways, he was such a good actor. The past few weeks she had gotten a feel for what it would be like if it was real. How he would act, how he would treat her, how she would feel. She knew the deal yet the past few weeks she had almost forgotten all about. She forgot that he was only married to her on paper. He should have been hers, only hers but it was truly a sham of a marriage. They barely saw each other. He was almost always out with the other woman, his lover, his mistress. Not a single night since their marriage did she sleep in the same bed as him. But these past few weeks he had been so attentive to her and her needs, she almost felt jealous of his lover. His lover got this kind of attention everyday from him, yet she could not even get him to spare her a glance. He probably could not even tell you the first thing about her. He only married her for pretenses. These past few weeks her in laws stayed with them, he was the perfect husband, perfect son, perfect man. It was evident why her parents chose him, he was everything a girl could ask for. She fell for the man in the mask, how could she not? But she knew it would not matter. There was no way he would care or want her. She knew from the start yet now after the performance, she could not say it was an act on her end. She fell for the charade he put on for his parents, and now that they were gone, he would go back to his lover, leaving her with the regret of forgetting her place. She wanted to call out to him, tell him she loves him, hold his hand so he won’t leave. Tell him she doesn’t want to be lonely, that she just wants him to hold her. But none of it would matter, she meant nothing to him. She watched him leave yearning for him to come back, envious of his lover, regretting not stopping him.  
He wondered why. Why had he not noticed her? The girl that was truly his, only his, his wife. But he had shoved her away, distanced himself from the start. Barely gave her a chance. Went to another every night. Maybe he should have given their marriage a chance. Tried to love her then. Maybe he would have been happy. Maybe their life would be ideal. Maybe they would not be lying to everyone they know. These past few weeks, his parents came, he could not let them see the sham of a marriage he kept up until now. His parents would disown him if they ever knew the things going on in his life. To everyone they pretended to be a happily married couple, but behind doors the reality was quite different. Even with his parents in the house, behind their doors the masks would fall, she slept far away from him. It must be his fault, he did leave her every night, she could not possibly be be comfortable near him. Yet right now all he wanted to wrap his arms around her, hold her close, keep her safe. But he knew she was not his to hold and cherish, and it was all his fault. He pushed them to this predicament, he had been enraged when his parent said he had to marry her. He found himself another to love, hold and cherish, hoping it would dissuade her. Maybe then she would say no to the marriage he thought. But just like him she could not upset her parents and say no. This probably caused him to be even angrier at her at the time, maybe this caused him to not bother to get to know her, he was not sure. But these past few weeks with his parents, it was like a blessing to him. She truly understood why they chose her. Would life be like these past few weeks if he had not created this barrier? Why did he have to go elsewhere? If only she had not been putting on a mask for his parents, if only those looks were genuine, he would cut off all relations with the other girl. All he wanted was for her to call out to him, tell him she loves him, hold his hand so he won’t leave. Tell him she doesn’t want to be lonely, that she just wants him to hold her. But she says nothing, maybe she feels nothing for him, but could he really blame her? He sighed as he made his way out the door, oblivious to the yearning gleam in her eyes, instantly regretting his actions.


	14. One Glance

One Glance  
She should have kept her gaze low, maybe then she would not be plagued so. When around non-related men, she should always lower her gaze. She knew that, yet, for some reason, before she could stop herself, the velvet voice, caused her eyes to fly to its source. The foreign words sounded absolutely beautiful to her, but what was being said? The confusion etched on her face made him smile then, with his accented voice he spoke again, this time in a language she understood. “Are you ok?” Enamored by him and his beauty, she stood up speechless and astounded, being able to merely nod before she dusted herself off. She didn’t trust her voice He gave her a spectacular, award-winning smile before his friends call him away. As he left, he looked back at her as if to make sure she was okay. Stunned she watched as he departed, leaving her heart in commotion.  
The rest of the day, she was absent-minded. Every time she closed her eyes, she could see those enthralling eyes staring back at her. She could swear she heard that voice, yet every time she looks back, he’s nowhere to be found. What was going on with her? Truly feeling insane, she shook her head trying to rid such thoughts from her mind. But the harder she tried not to think about him, the more her mind wandered towards him. She knew it was wrong, she shouldn’t be thinking about him. She probably wouldn’t even see him ever again. She prayed she would. She didn’t know him. Think so much about a man she doesn’t even know is sinful. He was her forbidden fruit, sinful pleasure. He was undeniably beautiful, his warm, golden-brown skin, his mesmerizing brown eyes, his elegant voice, he looked almost regal. It was no wonder she couldn’t stop thinking about him.  
She wondered if he thought about her too. Probably not she concluded, she wasn’t stunning, or breathtaking, nothing spectacular. Someone like him wouldn’t have thought twice about someone like her. He was elegant, sophisticated, majestic while she was plain, uninteresting, bland. He was way out of her league. What was she thinking? She was insane, think such about a man she would never see again. She didn’t even speak to him, so why was she tormented with thoughts of him? He meant nothing to her, yet all she could think about was him. Her friends noticed her inattentiveness and began to pester her with questions. Who was taking up her thoughts? But she couldn’t tell them she was thinking about a man she didn’t know. How could she tell them that her mind was afflicted by thoughts of a man she hadn’t even spoken too? They wouldn’t understand, would they? They would surely mock her.  
That night his mind wandered, asking again and again, why hadn’t he asked for her name? Maybe then, he would be able to find her once more. She was gorgeous, her dark brown eyes, her timid nature, her flustered appearance plagued his conscious and subconscious mind. She hadn’t spoken to him, he hadn’t heard her voice but he was captivated by her. He knew thinking so much of her wrong. His friends noticed his attention on her the moment he went to her. They continuously teased him all day because he looked back at her. In truth, he had been watching her for a while before he approached her, he merely took the opportunity to speak to the girl when she fell. He knew it was wrong of him to so unabashedly and brazenly stare at her, but he couldn’t help it. Just as he couldn’t help but dream about the veiled beauty that night.


	15. What Is Love?

What Is Love?  
She sat down at her desk with a pencil and journal. Pondering the question posed to her earlier that day by her best friend.  
'What is love?' She questioned herself as she tried to write her daily entry in her journal. The unanswerable question that has been asked time and time again. Has anyone ever truly been able to define it? Or is it to each his own?  
'What does love mean to me?' She pondered.  
'Love is the feeling of home, of comfort, the feeling Ed Sheeran songs evoke; love is the meaning behind his poems. Love is caring for someone more that dear life itself; love is being willing to give up everything for one person; love is accepting someone regardless of their flaws and shortcomings. Love is giving someone the power to cause you immeasurable pain and having faith that they won't betray you or your trust. Love is the feeling people say only exists in books and movies as well as all those Ed Sheeran song such as Perfect, Tenerife Sea and Thinking Out Loud. The person who induces all of these things in you is a soul mate. The person who you love and loves you back is your soulmate. A soulmate is the person who can make your heart beat fast with just a glance. Someone who can make your flaws perfection. The person you feel an intense feeling of deep affection for, the person who returns such feelings, the person who is ideally suited for you. The person made for you ' She wrote into the journal.  
To her, it meant him. To her, he was everything; without him, it was hard to breath, her heart ached, time seemed to pass slowly. Every waking moment, her eyes searched for his. Every night she dreamt of him, of their life together, their future. In her state of daydream she hadn’t noticed that the object of her affections, the man she was yearning for had crept up and started reading over her shoulder.  
“When you care about someone else’s suffering more than your own, that is love. When you let down all your walls, show the most vulnerable side you have to someone, that is love. When you feel safe even when you are at your most defenseless, that is love. When you feel tranquility and agitation by the mere sight of someone, that is love,” he said startling her.  
By the end of his declaration, he had come in front of her kneeling, he held her face between his palms.  
“And for me that is all with you,” he said pulling her face closer to his to cover her lips with his own.  
For that moment, everything felt just right. The feeling of contentment, of pure bliss, of peace filled their souls. The moment was intimate, warm even marking their feelings, exposing their hearts to the other. There is no greater joy than loving and being loved, as finding a perfect combination is oh so rare in this imperfect world.


	16. Team No Sleep

She sat there staring at her computer, trying to find more to say. The assignment was due at eight in the morning. She could not think of what to do, it was nowhere near complete and it was nearly 4am. Rubbing her eyes, shaking her head, she renewed her vigor, and psyched herself up to finish the assignment. She took a sip of her soda before focusing her concentration to her assignment.  
Bzzzz. --- Bzzzz. --- Bzzzz.  
Her concentration shattered, sighing she looked at her phone.  
‘To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism, stealing from a group is called research’  
What the hell? What in the world is that supposed to mean? Is he drunk? Or high even? No he couldn’t drink nor would he do drugs. Maybe he was reading or watching something or he was philosophizing. She hoped it wasn’t the latter, if it was she didn’t want to know what caused the thought.  
She contemplated responding, afraid of what they would start talking about. It's not that she didn’t find their conversations interesting, she did, in fact it was her favorite way to spend time but, she had an assignment to finish. She knew if she responded, they would start an interesting insane conversation and her assignment would be long forgotten while she would sit by her phone waiting for his response. Her self-control was quickly crumbling, she wanted to know what caused that text. She shook her head and turning to the assignment; incapable of advancing, she stared at the mostly blank screen. She tapped her fingers on her keyboard trying to ignore her thoughts about the text and urge to know more. Unable to concentrate on the task at hand, she gave in, his text peaked her curiosity.  
‘Please elaborate’  
She tried to return to her assignment while she waited for him to reply in vain. Her eyes kept flickering back to her phone as if it might have vibrated in the past second without her knowledge.  
She rushed through the assignment, completing it but in a rushed manner as her mind was preoccupied from that text.  
The next morning she groggily makes her way to class, all the while cursing her friend out in her mind. Why didn’t he respond, if he had her mind would have been at peace. She walked into the class and turned the assignment in and took a seat.  
“You look like shit.”  
Her friend plopped into the seat next to her grinning. It took everything in her not to smack him.  
“Gee thanks, so nice of you to say,” she glared at him; if looks could kill, he’d be six feet under.  
“Maybe you shouldn't have left the assignment for the last minute and started it sooner like me.”  
“Maybe you should stop texting me weird stuff so late at night."  
“I was helping you with the assignment.”  
He was grinning at his own joke.  
“What the flip does it mean.”  
“I was telling you to research not plagiarize.”  
“You were just messing with me?”  
“Thought you could use company at that hour.”  
“Company? You abandoned me right after! You what fell asleep in the millisecond it took for me to respond?”  
“Um no, not really. I was up for a bit after that, but I didn't notice.”  
“Wait a second, what the hell were you doing up at 4 if you were done with the assignment before yesterday?”  
He smiled sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.  
“Well you see, I was um doing stuff.”  
“Uh huh what kind of stuff?”  
He was flustered, but lucky for him the professor started class. He was saved for now, he knew she'd ask again as soon as class ended. Should he bother spending the next hour making an elaborate lie or should he just tell her the truth and suffer through her rage. The hour of class goes by quickly. He looked over many times during class to find her dozing off. Her curls like a waterfall covering her face. Soon the professor dismissed them.  
“So now, tell me. Spill, why were you up?” he sighs at her question, knowing she wasn't going to let this go.  
“Um well, first promise me you won't kill me.”  
“What did you do?”  
“Promise me.”  
“Fine, I promise, now spill.”  
“So you know that game I've been raving about for the past few weeks? It came yesterday so I started playing. And I got hooked and I couldn't put it down so I didn't notice the time and I kept playing then soon enough it was time for class” he was rambling.  
“You pulled an all-nighter playing a video game?”  
She was laughing at him. He was slightly embarrassed but her laughter was slightly contagious so he started smiling too.  
“Well yeah, it was really good. We can play it together now if you want.”  
“So let me get this straight, you were up all night yet you still didn't respond to my text?”  
“I'm sorry I swear I didn't notice.”  
“Hmm sure, still that was about 8 on the asshole scale.”  
He apologized again before dragging her back to his room to play this game. She laughed at his urgency to return to playing. Both of them grabbed a coffee on the way, there was no way they’d survive gaming without some after the all-nighter. Soon the coffees were long forgotten as both of them were pulled into the game.  
“Don’t fuck this up!” She was shouting at him every now and then. He chuckled at her excitement and enthusiasm.  
“Don’t die on me– Please,” she pleaded just as his character perished.  
At this point they had spent a couple of hours playing, they're intense gaming session gave no room to they're exhaustion. Now sitting and staring at the screen as it brought them back to a checkpoint, their collective fatigue caught up to them. They both stared at each other, as if to ask should we continue or take a break. They decided on a few minutes break; soon they were both fast asleep on the couch curled up to each other.


End file.
